The terms “binding” and “loosing” in the Second Temple period were used by the Rabbi’s Legislatively and Judicially. The Pharisees claimed to have had this authority to bind and to loose, but God never gave it to them. In rabbinic thought asur means “to bind” and mutar means “to loose”. These terms were used Legislatively in that “to bind” meant to forbid and “to loose” meant to permit. Judicially “to bind” meant to punish and “to loose” meant not to punish or set free from punishment.
Jesus gave Peter first and then all the Apostles the authority to bind and to loose, both Judicially and Legislatively. Remember there is no apostolic succession and therefore this authority was never passed on beyond the Apostles.
The Church has no authority to bind and to loose legislatively. This means no authority to bind, meaning to issue further rules and regulations for believers to follow. Likewise, it has no authority to loose, meaning to release believers from the rules of Scripture. All the Church can do is excommunicate a sinner as seen in Matthew 18. The only binding and loosing in the church today has to do with breaking or not-breaking fellowship with a sinning believer.
Now let’s look at the Greek Syntax. The context here is future, perfect, indicative.
The Amplified Bible version helps to bring out the Greek tenses in Matthew 16:19:
I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth will have [already] been loosed in heaven.”
In Matthew 18:18 the context is Church discipline. Clearly, there is no mention in either Matthew 16 or 18 of any spiritual warfare. There is no mention of Satan or Demons or waging any kind of battle in the heavenlies.
Tune in later for more in context teachings on passages in Mark 16, Matthew 10 and Luke 10.
In the future will also be covering Spiritual Warfare and what that means in context.
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